Pneumonia among under – five children in Ethiopia: a retrospective analysis from an urban hospital

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in under-five children in low-income countries. However, the burden of pneumonia in hospital admission is not traced systematically. This study was conducted to determine the proportion of under-five pneumonia admissions among children admitted to a hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia between 2017–2021. METHODS: A retrospective record of pediatric admissions to the Yekatit 12 referral hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was assessed for the period 2017– 2021. The date of admission and discharge, length of stay, and outcome at discharge were collected in accordance with the Ethiopian National Classification of Diseases (NCoD). Descriptive statistics were used to assess the proportion of under-five children with pneumonia. Survival analyses using Log rank test and cox regression analysis were done to assess time to recovery (recovering from illness). Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the influence of selected factors on pneumonia associated hospital admission. RESULTS: Between 2017–2021, 2170 children age 1 to 59 months were admitted, 564 (25.99%; 95% confidence interval 24.18% to 27.87%) were diagnosed with pneumonia. Among the sixty children who died during their hospitalization, 15 had been diagnosed with pneumonia. The median time to recover from pneumonia and discharge was 6 days. The odds of pneumonia hospital admission were higher among younger children (4.36 times higher compared to elder children with 95% CI 2.77,6.87)and were increased between the months of September to November. CONCLUSIONS: Pneumonia accounts for more than a quarter of hospital admissions in under-five children and for a quarter of deaths in this urban cohort. Hospital admission due to pneumonia was higher among older children (36–59 months of age) in the months following the heavy rain months (September to November) as compared to younger children. Our data strongly support increase of vaccination to prevent under 5 pneumonia.